Hoefnagel sent me a pack including an 83-piece puzzle by Boardwalk Puzzles, “English Balloon” by Ryan Snarr, which I knocked off in short order. The puzzle description:
ENGLISH VINTAGE BALLOON Join an air-born treasure hunt across the English countryside in search of Staffordshire gold. Mr. Green, Jane Air, Coxwell the bird, and Henry the dog navigate this English balloon by C.G. Spencer & Sons. This is a shaped puzzle with an irregular edge.
The bird is super tiny and on one of the riders’ shoulders. The “C. G. Spencer & Sons” seemed quite specific & not punny (like “Jane Air”), and indeed, per Wikipedia, it was a 19th century hot air ballooning company. More found knowledge by way of puzzling!
I could not figure out the bottom whimsy, but just now, looking at it again in the photo, I think I’ve identified it as a Shakespeare bust.
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